LEAD Newsletter No. 10 February, 2024
LEAD Project – Challenges. Results. Resources.
The implementation of the project “Labour market Employment for young Adults with a Disability – LEAD”, co-funded by the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment, was a challenge for us with regards to what we wanted to change in the communities which we were addressing to.
We introduced in Romania, Lithuania and Portugal a good practice model regarding the Supported Employment, with the help of the team of experts from Status Employment (UK), in order to give a chance to a sustainable integration on the labour market and into society to our beneficiaries.
LEAD Newsletter No. 9 July, 2023
The wide spread of the Supported Employment model – the solution for integration of people with disabilities onto the labour market
More than other social categories, young adults with disabilities still face difficulties every day in accesing education services and subsequently in finding a paid job, so their quality of life remains low. Many young adults have a low qualification, inadequate education which does not meet labour market requirements, poor financial situation, lack of confidence in their strength and in their peers. Moreover, the institutional support is insufficient or non-existent. Even when they do find a job on their own, they often are not treated properly, because of employer’s ignorance. On the other hand, companies still hesitate to integrate people with disabilities, due to stereotyping, and misperceptions.
LEAD Newsletter No. 8 January, 2023
LEAD Project – a real chance for the integration of young adults with disabilities into society
Why? Because we approach in an innovative way the relations between: young adults with disabilities; their parents and tutors; companies that have given our beneficiaries a chance; specialists and providers of Supported Employment services.
How? Since 2018, Health Action Overseas Foundation, as leading partner, Valakupiai Rehabilitation Center and Consultis – Consultoria Empresarial, Unipessoal Lda., with the support of Status Employment, our expert partner, have implemented in Romania, Lithuania and Portugal a good practice model regarding the Supported Employment, which has proven its viability in the United Kingdom.
LEAD Newsletter No. 7 Jul. 2022
About Supported Employment, at the future tense
In the end of the previous editorial, I was saying that we are going to widely promote the Supported Employment model, in addition to our daily work with our young beneficiaries, their parents and relatives and companies that have said YES to the challenge of integrating people with disabilities into their teams.
Why? First of all, this model is based on a win-win strategy: people with disabilities have the chance to get suitable jobs and keep them for the long term, while companies have the opportunity to hire dedicated and valuable workers.
LEAD Newsletter No. 6 Dec. 2021
Supported Employment, a chance for the employment of the young adults with disabilities
In the opening of the first issue of our newsletter, I was saying that the implementation of the project “Labour market Employment for young Adults with a Disability – LEAD”, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment, is a challenge for us in regard to what we want to change in the communities to which the project is addressed.
LEAD Newsletter No. 5 Jun. 2021
Why would you employ a young adult with disabilities through the LEAD project?
Studies show that teams which include people with disabilities often see improved productivity levels, and staff turnover is lower as a result. For example, employers whose activities include trade (supermarkets), services (cleaning) and the hospitality industry, reported that the integration of people with disabilities have improved staff retention. These people are loyal and dedicated, often because they are not given many opportunities to work and live an independent life. Many employers have reported increased profits as a result of hiring people with disabilities, especially through reduced costs in not having to recruit, employ and train new workers.
LEAD Newsletter No. 4 Nov. 2020
LEAD project continues, even during the pandemic
2020 is the most challenging year that many of us have been given to live. We all started it with optimism and many plans on our agenda, both professional and personal, but the Covid-19 pandemic, of a magnitude that no one could anticipate, forced us to reset our goals and aspirations. However, we, the LEAD team, did not give up on our mission.
LEAD Newsletter No. 3 May 2020
Supported Employment yields results in Romania, Lithuania and Portugal
In 2018, when we set out on the challenging path of implementing the project “Labour market Employment for young Adults with a Disability – LEAD”, co-funded by the EEA and Norway Grants – Fund for Youth Employment, we promised we are going to approach in an innovative way the relations among young adults with disabilities, their parents and tutors, employers, specialists and providers of Supported Employment services.
LEAD Newsletter No. 2 Sep. 2019
LEAD project– challenges and results
In the opening of the first issue of our newsletter, I was saying that the implementation of the project “Labour market Employment for young Adults with a Disability – LEAD”, co-funded by the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment, is a challenge for us, not in terms of the indicators we have assumed, but with regard to what we want to change in the communities which we are addressing to.
LEAD Newsletter No. 1 Mar. 2019
Why is LEAD project needed?
The implementation of LEAD project is a challenge for us, not in terms of the indicators we have assumed, but with regard to what we want to change in the communities which we are addressing to.
LEAD project is addressed to:
• young adults with disabilities;
• parents and legal guardians of young adults with disabilities;
• companies;
• specialists and providers of supported employment services,
from: Romania, Lithuania, and Portugal.